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Chakra Over Mana
Chakra Over Mana is a sword technique first developed by Moto Jiandao over several years in his late 20s (the late 860s), after studying with various master swordsmen in many different villages. Its name derives from a basic principle of magic use: everyone has within them various physical and mental energies collectively referred to as "chakra." Magic users learn to combine these energies in different ways to create compounds known as "mana," which is what they use to cast spells. Moto himself was born and raised in Sorret, so in spite of not being a Sorrter himself, it's not surprising that he would have known a bit about how magic works, in a non-practical sense. However, for various reasons he long held a bitterness towards Sorreters, particularly because of an incident which happened when he was 16, which prompted him to leave his village and become an adventurer. The technique he eventually developed was specifically designed to counter the effects of various spells which might be used in battle, thereby negating the advantage magic users tend to have over non-magical users in battle (though it need not be used against Sorreters, but may be used against non-magical opponents, either in single combat or by one combatant against a group of opponents). And so, the name of the technique refers to the fact that anyone can use chakra, even if they don't think of it as such; but only magic users can use mana. There is no magic involved in this technique, and chakra is not truly used in any conscious sense, any more than in any other physical or mental activity performed by everyone. The name merely means that the chakra has not been converted into mana, and yet can still be used to beat those who have converted their chakra into mana. When Moto first put the technique into practice against a group of Sorreters in 870, he found it too difficult to use with sufficient control. In spite of intending to do no real harm, he nearly killed one of his opponents. Because of this, he vowed never to use a sword again. However, in 885, he was approached by a former apprentice Sorreter named Noson, who convinced Moto to teach him the technique. Noson helped him refine Chakra Over Mana so that it could be used more safely, doing as much or as little damage as intended. After that, Moto would teach swordsmanship to various students over the years (though most of his time was devoted to his new profession as a playwright). However, of these students, very few were ever selected to learn Chakra Over Mana. Though the technique took Moto years to develop, it is not so complicated that it cannot be taught in a matter of weeks or months. However, before learning it one should first be proficient in basic swordsmanship. Chakra Over Mana was originally meant to utilize two swords simultaneously, a jian and a dao. However, variations on the technique were later developed by one of Moto's students, Jade Nishikigoi. One variation is simply a matter of utilizing different swords than those intended by Moto. Most commonly, the dao is replaced by a katana. A more complicated variation involves two people each using one sword in conjunction with each other, to replicate the effects of one person using two swords. See also *weapons Category:Culture Category:Magic